A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am drefniadau cynllunio'r gweithlu addysg a'r camau y mae'n eu cymryd i sicrhau bod digon o gyflenwad o staff ar gyfer ysgolion Cymru?
We have a Teacher Planning and Supply Model (TPSM) which is used to inform decisions on intake targets for Initial Teacher Education Training (ITET). The TPSM projects the desired number of teachers required based on pupil projections and current pupil-teacher ratios. It also projects the number of in-service teachers and the subsequent over or under supply of teachers, given flows in and out of service. These flows cover the in-flow of newly qualified teachers and re-entrants to teaching in Wales, and the loss of teachers due to retirements and other reasons for leaving.
In addition, we are working on bringing regulations into force which would enable the collection of a greater level of information on the school workforce in Wales. This will help to consolidate and improve our school workforce intelligence and to enable effective workforce planning to ensure that the right people with the right skills are deployed to provide a committed and motivated workforce.
We have kept ITET intake targets at a steady state in recent years following a period of substantial reduction to overall numbers and while the review and reform of ITET is underway. The Welsh Government encourages all three ITET Centres to actively promote their courses to attract and recruit the very best and brightest individuals with the right skills and personal qualities to consider teaching as a career.
Financial incentives are currently available to attract graduates with the highest levels of subject knowledge onto postgraduate ITET programmes. In recent years the Welsh Government has targeted the highest levels of financial support toward attracting graduates with high levels of subject knowledge in the secondary designated priority recruitment subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics, Welsh, foreign languages and computer science. Financial incentives are also currently available for graduates considering primary teaching and those wishing to train to teach through the medium of Welsh. For academic year 2016/17 training incentives of up to £20,000 will be available to support graduate students who want to train to teach key recruitment priority subjects in our schools. Eligible Welsh students will also be entitled to a tuition fee grant to support their studies.
Welsh Government also operates employment-based teacher training routes which enables individuals, whilst undertaking their teacher training and working towards achieving QTS, to be employed as unqualified teachers in a school. This flexibility offers the opportunity to commence a career in teaching, whilst also receiving a consistent salary for the duration – which is vital to career changers and those with family and financial commitments.